Pianoforte



UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

CHARLES HORST, OF NEV ORLEANS, LOUISIANA.

PIANOFORTE.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,342, dated April 1'?, 1849.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES HORST, of thecity and parish of New Orleans and State of Louisiana, have inventedsundry new and useful Improvements in the Manner of ManufacturingPianos; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,making a part of this specification.

During many years residence in New Orleans, engaged in the musicbusiness, I have discovered that the high temperature of the atmospherein that region, combined with its extreme moisture, causes a piano toget out of tune, in the course of a week or ten days, and in a very fewyears the instrument is rendered valueless. The cause of this rapiddeterioration of the piano from atmospheric influences, arises from thediminished adhesive power of the glue that unites the parts of which thebottom and body of the instrument is composed; thereby destroying itssolidity, and power to resist and counteract the strain of the strings;and in consequence, the instrument is soon drawn out of shape, and losesall that is melodious in its tone. To remedy the evils above referredto, and at the same time to make a more perfectinstrument of the piano,I have invented a new and improved method of constructing it which Iwill now proceed to describe. I denominate the piano constructed by myimproved method, a double iron frame piano; and in its construction, Ido not depend upon the adhesive power of glue for uniting any of itsparts, nor do I depend upon the stiffness or strength of wood forresisting and counteracting the strain of the strings: the piano properor sounding portion of the instrument, is constructed entirelyindependent of the exterior casing,

and can be readily taken to pieces, when repairs are required; theexterior casing can be readily detached from the body of the instrument,and as itserves merely for covering and protection, can be more or lessexpensive and ornamental in its design and finish. The bottom of mydouble iron frame piano (which in other instruments is con posed ofboards or planks glued together) I construct of an iron frame A,surrounded by and united to a wooden frame B, which projects asufficient distance to form the plinth for sustaining the case: uponthis base I place the board N, which may be open and framed together, asrepresented in the drawings, or may be a solid board from one extremityto the other; and upon the board N, 'I place the samenumber of blocksand fillings that are located in other pianos, and of nearly the sameproportions: the only difference being in the right-hand front block C,and the cross brace D, which unites the inner end of C, to the longblock IC: These are made of greater thickness when used, for the purposeof allowing the bolts F, F, to pass through them without injury. Theblock C, is beveled off on its inner side so as to reduce its uppersurface to its usual thickness in other pianos. Upon the said blocks andfillings, I place the sounding board g, the rest board H, and the ironframe J, and unite the whole to each other and to the bottom frames A,B, by means of the series of screw bolts F, F, as represented in thedrawings. Then this is accomplished, the bottom of the piano proper, iscompleted and ready for the reception of the strings and the action;which are placed therein in the usual manner.

After ascertaining the quality of the tone of the instrument, theexternal case K, is decided upon: its style of finish, and the expenseto be laid out upon it, to vary according to the quality of the tone ofthe instrument or the taste of the purchaser. The case rests upon theplinth or projecting portion B, of the base, and is of such a size as toleave a suitable space between the sides and top of the case, and theblocks and the top frame J. The case may be confined in its place byscrews z', z', passing up through the frame B, into the sides of thecase, or in any other suitable manner.

It is hardly necessary to inform anyone who is familiar' with `theprocess of manufacturing pianos7 that they have invariably beenconstructed by rst forming the bottom of the instrument of boards unitedby glue into a solid mass, and then uniting the bottom to the blocks,fillings, and casing, by the adhesive power of glue; consequently it isimpossible to separate the parts, should it be found necessary forrepairing the instrument. And, as it is always impossible to knowbeforehand what the quality of the tone of the piano will be whencompleted; a very expensive casing has frequently been put upon aninstrument of inferior tone.

These objections to the old process, of manufacturing pianos, that haveheretofore been deemed irremediable, it will be perceived have beencompletely overcome by my invention of the Within described process ofmanufacturing, what have termed, the double iron frame piano.

The bottom iron frame A, I generally stiffen With a diagonal brace m, asshown in Figure 3, and if necessary, stay it by lateral braces p, p.

l do not intend to confine myself to the use of iron for the frames Aand J any other appropriate metallic substance may be employed ifpreferred; nor do l intend to circumscribe myself to the identicalmechanical arrangements, herein described and represented, but shallvary the same, and the proportions of the respective parts, as l maydeem expedient, While I attain the same end by substantially the samemeans.

Having thus fully described my improved manner of constructing pianos,what I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The formation of the bottom of a piano of a metallic frame combinedwith a Wooden frame-*or with blocks of Wood-(as a substitute for theordinary piano bottom composed of united boards,) for the purpose hereinset forth.

2. l claim the formation of the body, or sounding portion of a piano7independently of the outside casing, by the combination of the bottom,with the requisite blocks and fillings, the sounding board, the restplank, and the top metallic frame, substantially in the manner and forthe purpose herein described.

rllhe above specification signed and Witnessed this 1st day of Feb.1849.

CHAS. HORST.

Witnesses Z. C. Romains, L. WILLIAMS.

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